Urine or Discharge Stain? Understanding Underwear Stains and What To Look Out For
It’s understandable to be alarmed by underwear stains with odd discoloration. A urine or discharge stain can occur for various reasons, most of which aren’t a cause for concern. Fortunately, you don’t always have to live with ongoing underwear stains. Find the right medical treatments or products that protect your undergarments from getting stained with tips and information from this helpful post.
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Common Underwear Stains
Underwear stains are usually harmless and are formed because of natural bodily processes. These stains can affect women before, during, and after menopause. If you’re worried about something you’ve noticed, you’ll likely feel more at ease by learning about the different types of stains and their exact causes.
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Discharge Stains
Vaginal discharge often results from fluctuations in estrogen levels that are natural for most women. However, fluid leaks that leave stains could also indicate an infection or another medical condition. Normal vaginal discharge is often clear or white but may leave stains if it interacts with dye in the underwear. For pregnant women, a thin, white discharge with a mild smell could leak and stain the underwear during gestation.
Urine Stains
Urinary incontinence resulting from having weak bladder muscles or simply waiting too long to use the bathroom can leave stains on their underwear. Incontinence products can help to keep your underwear as dry and stain-free as possible.
Spotting Stains
Spotting can refer to urine, but the term is usually used for small blood leaks between periods. During normal menstruation, most women use sanitary products to prevent blood stains from showing on their underwear. However, the underwear may be susceptible to stains if a woman is going through menopause and if she bleeds at random times. Normal hormone fluctuations and the use of certain contraceptives or menopause relief medications may cause spotting, but an underlying medical issue could also be to blame. If spotting persists and is accompanied by pain, it’s best to make an appointment with the doctor.
Fecal Incontinence Stains
Fecal matter can leave lighter or darker brown stains on the underwear. Even if you’re thoroughly wiping after going to the bathroom, fecal matter could still leak. Even small amounts of fecal matter can leave obvious stains because of its darker color. In addition to preventing stains from bladder leakage, some of the underwear pads and liners may hide fecal stains.
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Colors and Things To Look Out For
You shouldn’t be too alarmed if underwear stains keep occurring from vaginal discharge that’s clear or white. Red-colored stains often form from normal menstruation or spotting, but certain STDs, cancers and benign growths can contribute to irregular bleeding and staining. Yellow stains that range from lighter to darker color shades could be happening because of urinary incontinence, which may be hidden better with the right underwear pads or liners. Brown stains often indicate fecal incontinence, but menstrual blood that’s older and deoxygenated can also appear as brown underwear stains.
Fluid leaks and stains that are accompanied by other symptoms also shouldn’t be ignored. If the fluid that leaks has an odor, this may indicate an infection or another health issue that should be brought to your doctor’s attention. Don’t hesitate to consult your doctor if a fever, pain, or swelling accompanies the discharge and staining.
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Managing Underwear Stains
An underwear stain could be just a bothersome occurrence, but you should also be aware of other troubling signs so that you can seek the proper medical care if needed. Sofia & Grace offers a full selection of pads, liners, and other great products that can help keep your underwear dry and stain-free. Order the products that you need from Sofia & Grace today.